Yes, the economy is thriving, but is anyone really happier? David McWilliams talks to economist and author of The Growth Illusion, Richard Douthwaite on Agenda (Sunday, TV3, noon). Mr Douthwaite points out that the Republic's national income has grown more in the past 12 years than it did in the previous 6,000 and asks why it still seems so unable to deliver real improvement in people's lives.
Germaine Greer also appears on the programme and gives her unique take on what is wrong with Western economics.
The Money Programme: Bitter Harvest (Sunday, 6.15 p.m., BBC2) on the shortage of organic produce was originally scheduled for March 17th.
There's one born every minute and now the Internet is another arena were the unwary can be lured by the promise of the unlikely investment too good to miss. Dishonest speculators are abusing financial chat rooms by masquerading as anonymous experts and "talking up" (or down) dot.com shares. Panorama - dot.com Fever (Monday, 10.00 p.m., BBC1) investigates.
Economist Dan White asks if we can maintain current economic levels on It's Your Money (Tuesday, 8.00 p.m., RTE1). The programme offers advice on how to minimise the damage to the consumer if the bubble bursts. But while the boom is still here, technology workers are in short supply and Caroline Peppard of Intel is interviewed about how it attracts and retains staff.
Love is all you need, perhaps, but when employers tried it out in the caring, sharing 1990s they met with some degree of resistance. The fascinating Dangerous Company this week looks at Love In The Office (Wednesday, 9.50 p.m., BBC2) and at what happened to the bosses when they preached the latest management religion. British Airways boss Bob Ayling found out to his cost that love has to be a two-way street. After a £1 billion cost-cutting programme his cabin crews felt so unloved they walked out grounding 70 per cent of BA flights.
Money is power whether on the commercial or domestic front and in Love and Money (Thursday, 9.30 p.m., Channel 4) couples are at it again - arguing over their shared finances.
sokelly@irish-times.ie
